Bag making machine



Oct. 21, 1969 L. G. BATEMAN BAG MAKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledNov. 2, 1966 INVENTOR Lawrence 6. Safe/nan BY MQL m a m hmmhfl M 51 m I:3; mm mm L H? X i on ATTORNEY O 1969 G. BATEMAN BAG MAKING MACHINE 6Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 2, 1966 INVENTOR Lawrence 6. Bafeman BY @iwzduigATTORNEY 0d. 21, 1969 BATEMAN 3,473,294

BAG MAKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 2, 1966 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VE N 70/? Lawrence 6. Bafeman ATTORNEY Oct 1969 L. G. BATEMAN BAG MAKING MACHINE 6Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 2, 1966 lNVE/VTOF? Lawrence G. Safe/7700 5rMQLLL ATTORNEY och 1959' L. G. BATEMAN BAG MAKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-SheetFiled NOV. 2. 1965 INVENTOR Lawrence 6. 50/6/7700 BY W ATTORNEY Oct. 21,1969 5, BATEMAN 3,473,294

BAG MAKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 2, 1966 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 g\ /E l 38 36 I l4 L l 126 i I 1 I I a a 40 F534 1 I24 n44 I I38 1 1 A117 1 fl,

I42 I34 INVENTOR F Lawrence G 50/6/770/7 ATTORNEY United States Patent3,473,294 BAG MAKING MACHINE Lawrence Giles lBateman, Toronto, Ontario,Canada, as-

signor to Delamere 8: Wiliiams Company, Limited, Toronto, Gntario,Canada, a corporation of Canada Filed Nov. 2, 1966, Ser. No. 591,619Int. Cl. B311] 23/14; B2611 1/36, 1/40 US. Cl. 53187 9 Claims ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE A bag making machine for making pouch type bagswherein successive endmost bag sections of a continuously moving stripof connected bag sections are severed from the strip and wherein eachsevered bag section is immediately gripped and advanced in spacedrelation by successive faster moving carriers which carry the bags tofilling and top sealing mechanisms to complete the bag.

This invention relates to a bag making machine for producing pouch typebags.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved bagmaking machine for producing pouch type bags characterized by novelprovision for delivering successive endmost bag sections severed from acontinuously moving connected strip thereof directly to successivespaced carriers traveling continuously at a higher rate of speed andwhich support and convey the bags in spaced relation through filling andtop sealing mechanism to complete the bags.

The invention has for a further object to provide a novel and improvedmethod of making filled and sealed pouch type bags of the characterspecified which includes the step of gripping successive endmost bagsections of a continuously moving connected strip thereof immediatelyupon severance of the bags from the strip to be carried continuously inspaced relation into operative relation to filling and sealingmechanisms.

With these general objects in view and such others as may hereinafterappear, the invention consists in the bag making machine, in the methodof producing bags, and in the various structures, arrangements andcombinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined inthe claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a bag making machine embodying the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating that portion of the machinewherein the endmost bag section is gripped bya carrier immediately uponseverance of the bag section from the strip;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the severing and gripping mechanism asseen from the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the severing mechanism as seen from the line 44of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the severing mechanism as seen from the line55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a detail view similar to FIG. 5 showing the cutting blades intheir open position;

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FIG. 7 is a plan view of one end of the endless carrier showing thereceiving run and the delivery run; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are cross sectional views taken on the lines 88 and 9-9,respectively, of FIG. 7 showing the grippers in their open and closedpositions.

In general, the present invention contemplates a bag making machine ofthe type having provision for heat sealing together the side walls of acontinuously moving folded web of heat sealable bag making materialalong spaced transverse zones to provide a series of connected bagsections open at their upper ends. The connected bag sections are thensevered intermediate the sealed areas to produce individual bags open atthe top, the individual bags being then transferred to continuouslymoving spaced carriers or grippers. The carriers are arranged to conveythe bags past filling mechanism wherein a predetermined quantity ofmaterial is deposited into each bag whereupon the open mouths of thebags are sealed and the completed bags are released by their grippersonto a conveyer to be delivered from the machine.

In practice, the stri of connected bag sections is continuously moved atthe rate of one bag length per cycle of operation of the machine whilethe spaced carriers which receive successive bags severed from the stripnecessarily travel at a higher rate of speed to convey the bags inspaced relation to the filling and sealing mechanisms. In prior machinesof this type it has been the practice to transfer the individual bagssevered from the strip into operative relation to be gripped by thecarriers, the transferring operation being performed by means ofaccelerating rolls or belts arranged to bring the speed of the bags upto the speed of the carriers whereupon the bags were gripped by thecarriers. This prior arrangement left much to be desired because of thedifficulty in handling and supporting the individual bags after beingcut from the strip and because of the additional mechanism required totransfer the bags from the severing mechanism to the carriers.

In accordance with the present invention, provision is made forpresenting the endmost bag section of the strip directly into thepartially open jaws of the gripper or carrier prior to severance thereofand for thereafter closing the jaws of the gripper on the endmost bagsection immediately upon severance thereof from the strip whereby toobviate the need for any accelerating or transferring mechanism betweenthe severing mechanism and the carriers. In the illustrated embodimentof the invention provision is made for supporting the leading end of thestrip of connected bag sections in longitudinal alignment with thefaster moving carriers and with the gripping jaws in their partiallyopen position. The slower moving strip and the faster moving carriersare arranged so that just prior to registration of a carrier with theendmost bag section the severing operation is started so that at thecompletion of the severing operation the bag is in registered positionwith its carrier at which time the grippers are completely closed uponthe bag to convey the bag at a higher rate of speed and in spacedrelation to succeeding bags, the grippers serving to carry the bagsthrough the filling and sealing mechanisms and to release the bags ontoa discharge conveyer.

Referring now to the drawings, the present invention is embodied in abag making machine, as more or less diagrammatically illustrated in FIG.1, wherein a web of thermoplastic bag making material is withdrawn froma supply roll 12 thereof and guided under a shaping mem ber 14 arrangedto form the web into a U-shaped strip 16 as the web is advanced. Theleading end of the folded strip is threaded between a pair of uprightrollers 18, 20, and the strip is then engaged between opposed uprightsealing bars 22, 24, a series of which are carried in spaced relation byopposed continuously traveling conveyer chain units 26, 28,respectively. The continuously traveling cooperating sealing bars serveto grip and withdraw the web from the supply roll and to heat sealtogether the side walls of the strip along spaced transverse zones 30,see FIG. 2, to provide a series of connected bag sections 32 open at thetop. The broken line 33 intermediate the edges of each sealed area 30represents the line through which the bags are subsequently severed. Theillustrated sealing mechanism forms the subject matter of my UnitedStates Patent No. 3,147,168, issued Sept. 1, 1964, to which referencemay be made.

As herein illustrated, in general, the strip 34 of connected bagsections 32 is extended from opposed sealing units 26, 28 between a pairof continuously moving opposed belts 36, 38 which support the leadingend of the strip in an upright position, the lower edge of the stripbeing supported on platforms 40, see FIG. 2, of a series of spacedgripper carriers 42 carried by an endless conveyer chain 44. The leadingend of the strip passes between the open blades of the severingmechanism indicated generally at 46, and immediately upon severance ofthe endmost bag section 32 the grippers are closed on the bag section tocarry successive bags in spaced relation to the filling and top closingmechanisms. The filling mechanism is indicated generally at 48, and thetop closing mechanism is indicated generally at 50. The completed bagsare then released by their grippers at the delivery end 52 of theconveyer, the bags being received by a discharge belt 54 to carry themout of the machine.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the conveyer chain 44 is arranged to run oversprockets 56, 58 carried by upright shafts 57 and 59, respectively, thelatter comprising the driven shaft which is rotated from a main driveshaft 60 through gear connections indicated generally at 62 at one endof the shaft 60. The main shaft '60 is driven by a. motor 64 and beltand pulley connection 66. The other end of the shaft 60 is connected byan angle shaft 68 to the input shaft of a gear box 70, the output shaft72 of the gear box being connected by a chain and sprocket drive 74 to adrive shaft 75 forming a part of the side seam or transverse zonesealing units 26, 28. The drive shaft 75 is connected by a chain andsprocket drive 76 to a shaft 77 forming a part of the web supportingbelts 36, 38. It will be understood that the shafts 75, 78 of opposedsealing units 26, 28 are geared together to run at the same speed inopposite directions, and the shafts 77, 79 of the web supporting beltsare likewise geared together to support and advance the leading end ofthe strip into operative relation to the grippers 42 and the severingmechanism 46. As indicated generally in FIG. 1, the severing mechanismis driven from the main drive shaft 60 through a gear box 80 having avertical output shaft 82.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the severing mechanism 46 includes apair of opposed cooperating shear blades 84, 86 carried by parallelcrank arms 88, 90, respectively. The blades are arranged to be adjustedto a suitable shearing angle, as shown, and are arranged to be rotatedthrough circular paths into and out of shearing engagement with thestrip in a manner such as to move along with the continuously movingstrip during the shearing operation.

The crank arms 88, 90 are similarly mounted and, as herein shown, thearm 90 which carries the blade 86 is carried by pins 92, 94 dependingfrom crank disks 96, 98, respectively. Each crank disk is provided witha flange 100 interposed between and arranged to be rotatably adjustedrelative to an upper flange member 102 and an annular retaining member104, the parts being connected together in their adjusted position bybolts 106. Each flange member 102 has connected thereto an upstandingshaft 108 mounted to rotate an upper and lower bearings 109, 111,respectively, and to which a helical gear 110 is keyed. The gears 110mesh with helical gears 112 fast on a shaft 114 mounted to rotate inbearings 116. The shaft 114 is arranged to be rotated from the verticaldrive shaft 82 through intermeshing helical gears 118, 120. The severingmechanism is mounted in a casing 113 supported at one end by a bracket115 and at its other end by an upright rod 117. The crank arm 88 issimilarly mounted, corresponding parts being identified by the samenumerals with the addition of a prime. The helical gears 118, compriseright hand gears, and the helical gears 110, 112 are likewise right handgears to effect bodily rotation or orbital movement of the shear blade86 in a counterclockwise direction viewing FIG. 4. The helical gears110' and 112' comprise left hand gears to effect bodily rotation ororbital movement of the shear blade 84 in a clockwise direction viewingFIG. 4. Thus, in operation, the shear blades 84, 86 are moved inparallel alignment into and out of overlapping shearing engagement withthe strip of connected bags, the shear being started a short distanceprior to their centrally aligned or maximum overlap position, the shearbeing completed when the blades arrive at their centrally alignedposition. It will be apparent that the orbital movement of the blades inparallel relation causes the same to move along with the continuouslymoving Web, the blades being retracted or moved away from each otherafter the cut is completed. FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing the blades84, 86 in their centrally aligned shearing position, and FIG. 6 is asimilar view showing the blades in their maximum spread apart position.It will be understood that the shearing operation is performed betweenadjacent carriers, the gripper jaws being spaced inwardly from theadjacent transverse sealed zones 30.

In accordance with the present invention, the endmost bag section 32 isarranged to be gripped between the stationary and movable jaws 121, 122,respectively, of a carrier or gripper unit 42 immediately upon severanceof the bag section. As illustarted in FIGS. 8 and 9, each gripper unit42 includes a laterally extended hollow gripper supporting member 124bolted to a U-shaped block 126 connected to the chain 44, the blockbeing guided in elongated tracks 128 along the straight runs of thechain, and in stationary semicircular guides 130 at the ends of theconveyer, see FIG. 1.

The outer end of the gripper supporting member 124 provides the platform40 along which the bottom of the strip and also the severed bag sectionrests, the spaced stationary jaws 121 extending upwardly from the innerend of the platform for cooperation with the movable jaws 122. Thespaced movable jaws are fast on the ends of a pin 132 carried by thesupporting member. Also fast on the pin 132 and intermediate the endsthereof is an arm 134 having a segmental gear 136 formed thereon forcooperation with gear teeth 138 formed on the end of a shaft 140slidingly supported in the hollow member 124. The movable jaws 122 areconnected to move together by a pin 142 extended between arms 143 formedintegrally with the jaws, and the arm 134 is slotted to embrace the pin142 and to elfect rocking of the jaws 122 upon longitudinalreciprocation of the shaft 140. the shaft 140 is provided with a spring44 coiled thereabout and interposed between a depending bearing portion146 of the member 124 and a shouldered extension 148 formed at the innerend of the shaft. The spring 144 is arranged to urge the shaft 140inwardly to eifect closing of the gripper jaws 122 into cooperatingengagement with the stationary jaws 121, the inward movement of theshaft 140 being limited by closing of the jaws as shown' in FIG. 8.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the movable jaws 122 are arranged to be openedby engagement of the inner end of the shaft 140 with a stationary curvedcam rail 150 disposed at the receiving end of the conveyor, the jaws"being opened wide at this time, as shown in FIG. 9, so that the jawswill be rocked down out of the path of the lower edge of the extendedend of the strip of connected bag sections as the gripper units aremoved from the circular path into the straight run of the gripperconveyer. Thereafter, the inner end of the shaft 140 follows an angularsurface 152 of a stationary cam rail 154 which is arranged to effectgradual closing of the movable jaws to a nearly closed position. It willbe understood that at this time the extended strip of connected bagsrests on successive platforms 40 of successive faster moving grippingunits 42, the latter sliding along under the slower moving strip whichis supported at its upper end between the driven belts 36, 38. With thegripper jaws 122 'in their nearly closed position, the lower edge of thestrip is supported in alignment with the stationary jaws 121. Also, thenearly closed gripper jaws permit the jaws to pass between the openshearing blades 84, 36, as indicated in FIG. 3, to avoid interferencewith the blades. Furthermore, the nearly closed position of the gripperjaws 122 is arranged so that the remaining movement to effect completeclosing of the jaws upon severance of the endmost bag section is reducedto a minimum for rapid clamping or gripping action. As herein shown, theend of the shouldered extension 148 in engagement with the cam rail 154is provided with a narrow offset or stepped portion 156 and the cam rail154 terminates at a point 155 arranged so that in operation when thenarrow portion 156 slides off the end of the rail 154 immediately aftersevereance of the bag section, the jaws 122 are rapidly closed on thesevered bag section with a snap by virtue of the spring 144.

It will be understood that the rate of speed of the slower moving stripof connected bag sections and the rate of speed of the gripper units arecoordinated so that the endmost bag section will be momentarily alignedwith its respective faster moving gripping unit immediately uponseverance of the endmost bag section and that the shearing blades 84, 86and the end of the cam rail 154 are disposed relative to the momentaryregistration of the bag and the gripping unit so as to effect grippingof the bag section immediately upon severance thereof. As illustrated inFIG. 2, after severance and gripping of the bag sections at their lowerends, the upper ends of the bags are supported between spaced guiderails 160, 162. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the stripof connected bag sections travel one bag width or two and three-quartersinches per cycle, and the gripper units travel four inches per cyclecorresponding to the spacing thereof.

After the bags supported in the gripper units 42 have passed through thefilling and sealing mechanisms, the bags are released at the end of thereturn run 52 of the chain 44 by engagement of the inner end of theshaft 140 with a stationary curved cam 164, as shown in FIG. 7, toeffect outward rocking of the grippers 122, the released bags beingreceived on the discharge conveyor 54.

From the above description it will be seen that the present bag makingmachine is capable of aligning and registering successive endmostconnected bag sections traveling at one rate of speed with successivespaced carriers traveling at a higher rate of speed in a manner suchthat the endmost bag section may be gripped by its carrier immediatelyupon severance thereof from the strip whereby to eliminate intermediateaccelerating and advancing mechanism between the shearing mechanism andthe carriers.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been hereinillustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention maybe embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a bag making machine of the character described, in combination,means for continuously advancing an elongated strip of connected bagsections sealed along spaced transverse zones, means for severingsuccessive endmost bag sections from the strip through said transversezones during the continuous advance thereof to form individual bagsections, and continuously moving means for gripping and conveyingsuccessive bag sections in spaced relation immediately upon severancethereof from the strip, each of said gripping means having a supportionplatform upon which the strip is supported in non-gripping relationprior to the severing operation, and against which the individual bagsrest during and after the severing and gripping operation.

2. A bag making machine as defined in claim 1 wherein the elongatedstrip of connected bag sections is continuously advanced at a rate ofone bag width per cycle of operation of the machine, and wherein thespaced gripping and conveying means comprise carriers traveling at agreater rate of advance per cycle of operation of the machine.

3. A bag making machine as defined in claim 1 wherein the elongatedstrip of connected bag sections is continuously advanced at a rate ofone bag width per cycle of operation of the machine, and wherein thespaced gripping and conveying means comprise carriers traveling at agreater rate of advance per cycle of operation of the machine, saidsevering operation being completed and said gripping operation occurringupon momentary registration of a slower moving bag section with itsfaster moving carrier.

4. A bag making machine as defined in claim 3 wherein the severing meansis arranged to move along with the strip of connected bag sectionsduring the severing operation, and wherein the severing operation isinitiated prior to registration of the bag section with its carrier.

5. A bag making machine as defined in claim 1 wherein the gripping andconveying means includes gripper jaws, and wherein the elongated stripof connected bag sections is aligned with and supported between thepartially open jaws of successive gripping and conveying means prior toand during severance of the endmost bag section from the strip, andmeans for rapidly closing the gripper jaws on the endmost bag sectionimmediately upon severance thereof from the strip.

6. In a bag making machine of the character described, in combination,means for continuously advancing an elongated strip of connected bagsections sealed along spaced transverse zones, an endless conveyorhaving spaced carriers provided with gripper jaws and travelingcontinuously at a faster rate than said strip, said advancing meansarranged to guide said slower moving strip in longitudinal alignmentwith said carriers and with the strip supported between the partiallyopen jaws of said carriers, means for severing successive endmost bagsections through said sealed transverse zones to form individual bagsections, and means for closing said jaws upon a bag section immediatelyupon completion of the severing operation and at a time when the endmostbag section is momentarily aligned with its carrier, each of saidcarriers being provided with a platform upon successive of which thelower edge of said elongated strip is supported during longitudinalalignment with said carriers, and wherein said strip advancing meansincludes a pair of cooperating belts arranged to support the strip in anupright position.

7. A bag making machine as defined in claim 6 wherein the machine isprovided with a bag filling means, top closing means, and a bag releasestation associated with said conveyor, and wherein the carriers areadapted to convey the individual bags in spaced relation to the bagfilling and closing means and to the bag release station to dischargethe completed bags.

8. A bag making machine as defined in claim 6 wherein the gripper jawsinclude a relatively stationary jaw upstanding from each platform forcooperation with movable jaws, said jaws being closed upon the lower endof each individual bag, and stationary rails for supporting theindividual bag sections in an upright position.

9. The method of producing bags Which consists in advancing a strip ofconnected bag sections sealed along spaced transverse zones, arrangingthe strip in longitudinal alignment with and supporting the same innon-gripping relation by a series of faster moving spaced grippercarriers, severing successive endmost bag sections from the stripthrough said sealed zones to form individual bags while supported insaid non-gripping relation, and then gripping successive endmost bagsections in the carriers immediately upon severance thereof from thestrip and 2/1942 Robinson 5328 X 8/1953 Bartelt 53-183 THERON E. CONDON,Primary Examiner E. F. DESMOND, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

